 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
US Shrugs Off North Korea Nuclear Threat
Washington (AFP) Jul 03, 2006 The White House on Monday dismissed North Korea's threat of a nuclear strike in the event of a US attack as "deeply hypothetical" and urged Pyongyang to rejoin nuclear negotiations. North Korea vowed Monday to counter any strike by the United States with its "mighty nuclear deterrent," accusing Washington of raising tension on the Korean peninsula. "It is a statement about what may happen if something that hasn't happened, happened, if you follow my drift. It is still deeply hypothetical," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. North Korea has since November boycotted six-nation talks on ending its atomic drive, saying it will only come back to the table after the US lifts financial sanctions. "The strong preference of the United States and the other parties to the six-party talks, other than North Korea, is for North Korea to rejoin the talks, to sit down at the table," said Snow. The negotiations involve the two Koreas, Japan, Russia, the United States and China. Echoing the White House's stance, the State Department said the United States had no plans to launch an attack on North Korea. "As the president and the secretary have made clear, the United States has no intention of invading or attacking North Korea," said Julie Reside, a State Department spokeswoman. The six nations involved in negotiations with North Korea have set out "a framework whereby North Korea could achieve a fundamentally different relationship with both the United States and its neighbours in the context of the complete and verifiable elimination of its nuclear weapons and nuclear programs," Reside said. In a joint declaration brokered in September 2005, North Korea agreed in principle to end its atomic weapons program in return for security and diplomatic guarantees and critical energy aid. The six-party talks were suspended last November when Washington rejected Pyongyang's demand for the removal of US sanctions imposed on a Macao-based bank for allegedly distributing counterfeit US dollars and laundering money for the Stalinist state.
Source: Agence France-Presse Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links - Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Pyongyang Denounces US For Deploying Spy Planes
Seoul (AFP) Jul 04, 2006North Korea on Saturday denounced the United States for deploying new spy planes in South Korea, accusing it of preparing a nuclear war against the communist state. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
